


living in paradise

by MarquisdeDiscotheque, Zsazsa4



Series: rat girl summer [5]
Category: The Terror (TV 2018)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, M/M, Rimming, Threesome - M/M/M, emotional squalor, mr hickey is to be punished as a boy for sedition and messing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:55:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26617069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarquisdeDiscotheque/pseuds/MarquisdeDiscotheque, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zsazsa4/pseuds/Zsazsa4
Summary: The second unbelievably grimy threesome of the series. Tozer and Fitzjames wrestle with the gutters, in more ways than one. No one has learnt his lesson.
Relationships: Commander James Fitzjames/Cornelius Hickey, Commander James Fitzjames/Sgt Solomon Tozer, Cornelius Hickey/Sgt Solomon Tozer, James Fitzjames/Cornelius Hickey/Sgt Solomon Tozer
Series: rat girl summer [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877806
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	living in paradise

‘You’re humping that ladder, sapper!’

Fitzjames didn’t know quite what that meant, but he got the gist, and it went straight to his cock. He was a little surprised to discover that being shouted at was really doing it for him, but decided to take it at face value and not explore that particular piece of psychosexual malformation. Besides, he was halfway up a ladder with one hand in a gutter, so there wasn’t a huge amount of pschosexual exploration to be done. He was rather battling with the vertigo as it was.

‘Why don’t you climb up the bloody ladder, then,’ he snapped. ‘Oh, for God’s sake, I think I’ll have to come down. I’m not made for this.’

‘I thought I was in a supervisory role,’ Tozer said. ‘Strictly management.’

‘You’re a strapping lad. I’m good at supervising. Seems we’ve gone about this the wrong way.’ Fitzjames moved a foot and wobbled. He was only half putting it on. 

Tozer rolled his eyes. ‘You idiot. Come down then, I suppose I can show you how to climb a ladder properly.’ 

Fitzjames descended the ladder with a speed he’d certainly lacked going up, smiling to himself. Tozer rolled his eyes, but approached the job as an opportunity to show off his finer qualities.

‘Hand and foot together,’ Tozer said as he went up. ‘And keep your middle away from the ladder, it’s better for your balance. Or that’s what they tell you.’

‘Ah, hence the ladder humping,’ Fitzjames muttered, footing the ladder firmly. ‘Noted. Cheers.’

Tozer laughed. ‘Call it worse than that. I was just keeping it clean for the neighbours. Don’t imagine they’d appreciate a proper barracks job.’

Fitzjames thought of things he and Tozer had done in the garden that had not been, as Tozer put it, keeping it clean for the neighbours. All through the summer there had been hands down trousers and lounging in the shade of the pelagonias, sometimes resulting in peculiar sunburns. But this was the front garden, so he supposed different rules applied. 

‘That boy next door has a real thing for you. His mother came over complaining that he wants to jack in his university offer and join the army.’

‘Sandhurst entry, I suppose,’ Tozer said, showering Fitzjames with dirt from the gutter. He felt secretly quite pleased he’d made such an impression. ‘There are worse ideas.’

‘Well, she wants you to warn him off.’

‘Just tell him the fitness requirements, that’ll do it. There. Full of dirt, this one. Mind your hands.’ He dropped what he was holding and climbed down quickly, nearly kicking James in the face.

‘For God’s sake, Solomon, is that one of my serving spoons?’

Tozer shrugged. ‘Got more reach than doing it just with gloves. Put it in the dishwasher.’

‘You didn’t have to throw it from the first floor.’ Fitzjames might have been angrier about this, but Tozer had shown up after work in his battered Everton shirt and a pair of shorts, and although it seemed distinctly chilly for shorts Fitzjames certainly appreciated a nicely turned calf. He smelt of one of those very strong, very chemical deodorants he used and which Fitzjames had to admit he liked on him. He also smelt strongly of sweat, which Fitzjames liked on him even more. Tozer had then helped him with the guttering, which was not a very sexy job; or at least, he had not thought it a sexy job, until he realised how much arse-ogling it involved, at which point he revised his opinions. But the point was that it was nowhere near as good as actual sex, and Tozer had still done it.

‘Are you going to help me shift this ladder, or are you just standing there like a lump? Brace it with your foot. We’ll take three rungs off the top and six off the bottom.’

As they were shifting it, they heard a familiar and not entirely welcome reedy voice. ‘All right, Sol?’ 

James gritted his teeth at the approach. ‘It seems we’ve pulled more from the gutter than we bargained for,’ he said quietly. He thought Tozer would laugh, but he only eyed him obliquely, frowned.

‘Be quiet a minute and let us get this done,’ Tozer shouted. Hickey wolf-whistled at them from halfway down the street, obviously pleased. After they’d stowed the ladder in the shed, Tozer seemed almost to square up to Hickey. Fitzjames spitefully hoped there’d been trouble in paradise. ‘What are you doing here? How do you know where I am all the time?’

‘I was at the flat and you weren’t picking up your phone, so I looked in at the gym on the way. No football practice tonight, bit early for the pub, so I knew you’d be here.’

Tozer sighed. He’d been looking forward to a comfortable afternoon with Fitzjames, who had even promised post-coital scones. ‘Christ, all right, you weirdo. I’ll just shower, if that’s all right with James, and then I’ll be on my way.’

‘You don’t have to go-’ Hickey said. At the same time Fitzjames made a similar protestation, which worried both of them. 

‘ _You_ don’t have to go,’ Fitzjames repeated. He thought that sounded quite rude, so he modified it with, ‘And of course, Cornelius, do come in for a cup of coffee.’

Once Hickey was safely ensconced in the front room, Tozer and Fitjzames made their way to the shower. ‘What the bloody hell is he doing here,’ Fitzjames said, put out. He sat down heavily on the toilet seat, still clothed. ‘Did you know he was going to turn up? Are you supposed to be meeting him?’

‘Nah,’ said Tozer. ‘He’s been funny lately. That cruise ship bloke I told you about died.’ Tozer had, in fact, drunkenly told Fitzjames rather a lot about Hickey and the dreaded Billy, and Fitzjames had been heartily sick of hearing about it. ‘The one who had that parasite and I was getting all those doctor’s letters about it even though I told Cornelius not to use my address. A couple of weeks ago?’

‘He _what?_ ’ Fitzjames said.

‘He died. Some kind of freak accident with the swimming pool. I thought he died of the parasite thing for about a week but he didn’t die of that, he just had it.’

Fitzjames decided he did not want any more explanation. He put his head in his hands, and then remembered that his hands had just been in the gutter and promptly removed them, leaving mud on his face. Tozer pulled a leaf out of Fitzjames’ hair, with an expression that edged towards guilt. 

‘So ever since then he’s been a bit - you know - off.’

To Fitzjames’ mind there had always been something a bit off about Hickey. This new development was so bizarre as to be almost entertaining, except that he’d left the man unsupervised in his house. He could feel a migraine coming on at the thought.

‘Well-’ Fitzjames considered the options. ‘Let’s get cleaned up and then decide what to do with him, eh?’ 

Tozer shrugged in agreement and began to strip.

Too late Fitzjames began to question whether he should be having sex with a bloke who was having sex with a bloke whose last boyfriend had a possibly lethal parasite. Looking at Tozer’s now-bare stomach, the thought soon left his mind. He loved the way Tozer carried himself, completely at home in his body, aware of how attractive he was but unselfconscious. They had their usual squabble about how hot the water should be - Tozer liked it scalding. But they soon settled under the spray (it was a very nice and very spacious shower, if Fitzjames did say so himself). Fitzjames moved to rub soap over Tozer’s shoulders, tracing his hands down his back and coming to rest at his arse. Tozer sighed, and said, ‘Bath’s better for this, if you’ve got one big enough. I can never fit with anyone else.’ 

Fitzjames kissed his shoulder. ‘I can’t see the two of us fitting in that tub. We could certainly try, though, when we’ve time.’ He tried not to dwell on Hickey waiting downstairs. Tozer shifted, stretching, in his hands. 

‘We’ve got a bit of time,’ he said. He leaned against Fitzjames’ body, twisting his head back for a kiss. Fitzjames ran a hand through Tozer’s hair. ‘I need to get my hair cut,’ he said. ‘It’s getting too long.’

‘I like how it looks now,’ Fitzjames said. ‘You can see how it curls.’ He kissed the back of Tozer’s neck, and then reached down and started to gently play with Tozer’s cock. Tozer pressed back against him agreeably. 

Just as the two were starting to grind flush against each other, Tozer’s head thrown back as he groaned, Fitzjames’ cock pressed against his arse, hands roaming to grasp at each other, they felt a jet of cool air. Someone had opened the bathroom door. 

‘Blimey,’ Hickey said, ‘you two are getting hot and heavy. Not very nice to leave me out, though.’

Fitzjames automatically took his hand off Tozer’s cock and felt strangely guilty.

‘No room for three in here,’ Tozer said.

‘Come on,’ Hickey said, ‘I’m a grieving man.’

Fitzjames was utterly taken aback when both Hickey and Tozer laughed hard at this; apparently it had been meant and well-received as a joke.

‘I don’t remember doing this at my grandmother’s funeral,’ Fitzjames muttered. It was the wittiest he could muster under such trying circumstances, which was not terribly witty. He gave himself a quick rinse and turned the water off, looking regretfully at Tozer’s bum.

‘Not my house, anyway,’ Tozer said. ‘If you want to join in you’d best ask squire here.’ 

Hickey mimed tugging a forelock. ‘Permission to fuck?’

Fitzjames did not much like being bullied in his own home, and Tozer’s remark had smarted, but the results of their previous encounter had been rather spectacular.

‘Ask me again,’ he said. ‘But do it properly this time.’

‘Permission to fuck, sir?’

Fitzjames could not say no to that. He shrugged, trying for disinterested but unable to stop his mouth twitching into a smile. ‘Oh, _really_.’

‘Permission granted, looks like,’ Tozer said. ‘Come on, I’m freezing my bollocks off.’

Fitzjames half-expected Hickey to pass them towels, but he seemed content to linger malignantly at the door, so Fitzjames had to do it himself. Tozer dropped his at the door of the bedroom, much to Fitzjames’s annoyance. He picked it up and slung it over a radiator. He kept his own towel wrapped around his waist, conscious of being disturbed without having time to put himself together. His hair dripped to his shoulders, and rivulets of water ran down his chest. He was surprised when Hickey, still fully dressed, stepped directly up to him, and followed the tracks of an errant droplet with a thumb; he ran idle fingers across his collarbone, over a nipple, and down to Fitzjames’ stomach. Fitzjames felt the towel rising. He met Hickey’s eyes-

And Tozer said, ‘Why don’t we pick up where me and James left off? I was enjoying that.’

‘You’ll have to work a bit harder than that,’ Fitzjames said, still looking at Hickey. ‘We’ve moved beyond a quickie in the shower.’

Tozer looked wounded. ‘I’d expect that from him, not from you. And why won’t neither of you just touch my cock when it’s the three of us? I did all the work last time.’

‘You got your face fucked and then you got your arse fucked,’ Hickey said. ‘No work required from you.’

‘That is work! That counts as doing work. And I had to say stuff.’

Fitzjames crooked an eyebrow at Hickey. ‘The state of this poor, deprived man,’ he said sadly. ‘If only there were a way for us to help.’

‘If you want to do some work,’ Hickey said, ‘you can make a start by undressing me.’

Tozer looked pleased. He pushed Hickey to sit at the edge of the bed, and straddled him, soaking Hickey’s trousers with his damp thighs. He ran a large hand over Hickey’s cheek, and then pressed Hickey into a kiss, soft and insistent. His other hand hitched up Hickey’s shirt, and they broke apart so that Hickey could shrug it off. Then the hand came to where the fly of Hickey’s trousers ought to have been. ‘Hang on,’ he said, snorting, ‘are these girls’ trousers? Are you wearing girls’ trousers? No wonder they don’t fit properly.’

‘Get off,’ Hickey snapped, ‘I’ll take my own trousers off.’

‘They _are_ ,’ Tozer said, delighted. ‘Ooh, Miss Hickey, where do you do your shopping? How do you go for a piss?’

Hickey stripped in short order and pushed Tozer back on the bed. He was surprisingly strong for a man of his size, Fitjzames thought. ‘You can shut up,’ Hickey said. He pinched Tozer’s nipple, hard enough that Tozer yelped. He cupped his balls with a rough grasp - a touch too firmly, from the look on Tozer’s face - and licked a tantalizing stripe up the underside of Tozer’s cock. 

Fitzjames had watched the scene unfold with some petty satisfaction, but now felt he ought to join in. His cock was aching against the towel, so he took it off and crawled up onto the bed beside Hickey. He leaned down on one elbow and stroked Tozer’s chest and belly, licking and kissing him. Tozer arched up, his body overstimulated and yet begging for more, wanting his cock to be touched.

‘Turn over,’ Hickey said. ‘On your hands and knees. No rubbing off on the sheets like you always try.’

Tozer rolled his eyes but turned and Hickey held his hips, pressing his thumbs in hard enough to bruise. Then he fondled Tozer’s balls once more, pressed at his taint. Fitzjames, thrilled, put his hand to Tozer’s mouth, and slowly pushed a finger in, inviting Tozer to suck at it. 

‘You ever done that to him properly?’ Hickey asked. ‘Got your fingers in his arse?’

Fitzjames shook his head.

‘Fancy a go? Though at least he shuts up when he’s got something in his mouth.’

Fitzjames cocked his head, and then nodded. He loved bottoming, but this had an illicit thrill of its own. He felt his thighs nudge against Hickey’s, and found himself admiring the man’s prick - still terribly average, but quite pleasingly rosy and firm. Perhaps he might even let Hickey fuck him, later. His body throbbed at the thought. He pushed another finger into Tozer’s mouth, and Tozer lapped and sucked at them, coating them in spit. After a while Fitzjames pulled them out with a wet pop. They were dripping with saliva. Tozer leaned down onto his forearms, arse pushed up towards Hickey and Fizjames. 

Hickey pulled away from Tozer’s balls and brought his hands to rest on his arse, pulling the cheeks apart, and Fitzjames traced his wet fingers softly down the crack. He massaged Tozer’s entrance, and then slid a long finger in. While he fucked Tozer slowly with one finger, then two, three, opening him up, his other hand slid to Tozer’s arse and fondled it. The man really did have a spectacular bum, Fitzjames thought, and he’d never dreamed that he’d so obviously enjoy receiving. 

‘Reckon you can get another finger in?’ Hickey asked, almost clinically interested. ‘Your hands are bigger than mine. Go on, try it.’

‘No he fucking can’t,’ Tozer said, turning his head to the side. ‘Stop talking about fisting me like I’m not here.’ Fitzjames, who had been in the process of wondering if he should remove the ring on his little finger, bit his lip.

‘I only meant four fingers, not the whole thing,’ Hickey said, pouting. ‘Knew you’d bottle it, anyway.’

‘I’m not bottling it, I never wanted to do it in the first -’ Tozer broke off abruptly as James twisted his fingers, trying to get him to shut up. He kissed Tozer’s cheek, the corner of his mouth, hoping for the life of him that they wouldn’t spend the whole evening bickering.

Hickey kissed along Tozer’s back, nibbling and sucking hard enough to leave marks, and then down to his arse. He started biting at a cheek in earnest, giving Tozer a particularly livid love bite. To Fitzjames, this seemed unnecessary and more than a little showy; with some effort, he restrained himself from elbowing Hickey in the face.

Tozer raised his head slightly from the pillow, a wet patch where he’d drooled into it. ‘Can you-’ he panted ‘- stop chewing on me and just get a hand on my cock, now.’ 

Hickey reached underneath him. He worked Tozer’s cock with slick, wet sounds. ‘You are enjoying this,’ he said. ‘Leaking like a bloody faucet.’ The two men coaxed Tozer, between them, Fitzjames fucking him faster with his fingers and Hickey pumping Tozer’s cock in earnest, twisting his fist over the head. Both were crouched over him, their sweaty bodies chafing together; Hickey’s cock leaked against Fitzjames’ thigh, and his face prickled against Fitzjames’ shoulder. Their eyes locked, and - surprising himself - Hickey moved in to kiss Fitzjames. They bit and licked at each other’s lips. It was messy, and wet, and not without passion. Hickey made a startled noise into Fitzjames’s mouth, pulled away and held up a handful of come. He tutted disapprovingly as Tozer groaned into the pillow, and wiped the cum onto Fitzjames’ clean bedsheets. ‘Should have been more careful. He always goes off like a rocket if you let him.’

Fitjames slowed his fingers, fucking Tozer through his orgasm. Tozer wanted to say something to Hickey, but he couldn’t concentrate, only moaned into the pillow. Fitzjames’ fingers pulled slowly out of him. He whimpered a little in protest, missing the fullness, although he was starting to get sore. He had begun to shake from the effort of holding himself up after a day doing more than his fair share of hauling ladders around. 

Then he heard the rustle of a condom packet. 

Tozer’s arms gave way; he flopped to his belly, and then rolled over with a speed neither of them had ever seen from him before. ‘No way,’ he said. ‘That’s enough for me.’ Hickey looked up, condom rolled half over his very hard cock. His mouth pursed. 

‘Bit of a waste, isn’t it?’ he said.

‘You can fuck him, then,’ Tozer said. ‘Or he can fuck you.’ 

Fitzjames moved his hand across Hickey’s belly, and his eyes seemed to enquire. With a deliberate air about him, he grasped Hickey’s cock, and rolled the condom off. ‘I think we can stretch to another condom, darling.’

‘Darling, is it,’ Hickey said. He ruffled Tozer’s hair affectionately. ‘Why don’t you get him ready then, _darling_? With your mouth, maybe, you’re a born arse kisser.’

Tozer bristled, grabbed Hickey by the scruff of the neck as he tried to wriggle free. ‘Can’t stop messing, can you.’ His grip looked hard, even faintly dangerous.

Fitzjames sighed. ‘Nicely, please,’ he said. ‘Let’s not squabble.’

Tozer let Hickey go and propped himself up on one arm. ‘Do you want me to, James?’ he said.

In response, Fitzjames smiled wickedly and pushed Tozer to lie back down. He moved up Tozer’s body, and positioned himself kneeling over Tozer’s face. Tozer grasped Fitzjames’ hips and guided them, nosed between his arse cheeks, licking up into his hole and flicking his tongue at his rim. Fitzjames allowed himself to relax and lean into the warm sensation, loving the feeling of Tozer’s tongue licking him open, pressing up into him. 

He became aware of Hickey leaning down by Tozer, murmuring to him. He couldn’t quite catch what he was saying but it sounded gentle, a departure from their earlier quarrelling. Fitzjames was unused to this from Hickey, though he supposed they must be gentle with each other sometimes. Even with his arse pressed into Tozer’s face, he felt somehow apart from the two of them.

Although the feeling was divine, it was almost a relief when Tozer’s tongue started flagging, the licks growing less energetic. He could feel the spit seeping out of him, and decided enough was enough.

He pulled himself off Tozer’s face and, feeling dramatic, grabbed Hickey by the chin and kissed him again, hard and deep. That shut up the man’s inane chattering. Then Fitzjames moved himself onto his knees and grasped the iron filigree bed frame.

Hickey wasted no time - after one last caress to Tozer’s sleepy face, he positioned himself behind Fitzjames. He grabbed the lube from the drawer, making a mental note to look through the others later, out of curiosity as much as avarice. He rolled on another condom and slicked himself up before pushing in. 

It was rough, and unceremonious, but it felt good. Hickey moved himself just so, hitting Fitzjames’ prostate with long, leisurely strokes. Fitzjames moved back against him, trying to make him cant his hips faster, but Hickey would not be diverted.

‘Come on, damn you,’ Fitzjames said, between pants.

‘Easy, now,’ Hickey said. He tangled a hand in Fitzjames’ hair and pulled his head back roughly, so that he could whisper against his ear. ‘We all know you like your bit of rough, what you keep Sol hanging around for. You must have loved that, watching us fuck the first time. Thought we were doing it all for you to enjoy?’ 

‘For God’s sake,’ Fitzjames said, huffing between thrusts, ‘you’re really - choosing - to have this conversation - now. Be quiet and fuck me better.’ He hoped to God that Tozer couldn’t hear what Hickey was saying clearly.

Hickey sped up his thrusts, went harder, but kept hissing into Fitjzames’ ear. He could feel the hot spittle against his earlobe. ‘You’re crackers if you think he gives a toss about you. He likes being spoilt, that’s all. He don’t think nothing about -’

Fitzjames reached behind him and with a sharp movement slapped at Hickey’s arse. He couldn’t quite get the force on it he wanted, or the angle either, but it made a satisfying crack against Hickey’s thigh. Hickey’s eyes went wide, and his breath hitched for a moment, before he snorted at the move. He let go of Fitzjames’ hair and moved his hand on top of Fitzjames’, pulled it away from himself and pinned it to the bed. ‘Touch yourself if you like, but stop messing.’ He moved his hand away; Fitzjames glanced behind him and saw that Hickey had it splayed on Tozer’s broad chest. Tozer’s eyes were barely open, but he looked content; he brought a hand up over Hickey’s. Hickey’s thrusts became shorter and more erratic; Fitzjames bitterly resolved that he would not come before Hickey, that he’d at least win there. He clenched tightly and abruptly around Hickey, brought his legs together a little.

Hickey made a small strangled noise. ‘Wish I weren’t wearing this,’ he said, through gritted teeth, ‘that I could get my spunk all inside you, running out of you. Fuck!’ He slowed and dug his nails into Fitzjames’ shoulder, panting. 

Fitzjames imagined Hickey’s warmth leaking out of him. He thought also about what it might look like with his come spilling over Tozer’s thighs, imagined the small man fucking Tozer like that too, and his come leaking out of Tozer’s pert arse, he knew they did it that way. The thought sent him over the edge - he pumped himself a few more times, and spilled all over his hand. He came hard, eyes screwed shut, feeling almost as if he were scouring himself out. Hickey was still inside him, growing soft.

‘Get off me,’ he said, and Hickey promptly obliged and rolled off. They lay together in a sweaty, sticky heap. To his dismay, Tozer appeared to be asleep, snoring gently. He shook him and said, ‘You couldn’t even stay awake to watch?’

Tozer shook his head, groggy. ‘You what?’ he said, squinting.

‘He fucked me, and you slept through it?’

‘Not through most of it,’ Tozer said, not sounding nearly guilty enough. ‘Anyway I fuck you all the time and that’s better, I’d much rather fuck you than watch him do it.’

Fitzjames lay his head in his elbows. He wanted, just a little, to cry. To one side he noticed Hickey taking off his condom, and then wiping his hands all over the silk throw at the end of the bed.

‘Do you mind,’ he snapped, slightly afraid that his voice might break. ‘There are towels. That’s real silk.’

‘Funny choice to have on your bed, then. Since I use mine for sleeping and fucking,’ Hickey said, finishing cleaning each finger in turn.

Fitzjames was too weak to argue. He curled in against Tozer’s warm side, and Tozer moved a hand under his head, cuddling Fitzjames to his chest. It was some consolation, at least.

Fitzjames ran a hand through Tozer’s hair. He very much wanted to ask him if he did, in fact, give a toss about him, but thought it wiser not to. Tozer smiled, and kissed Fitzjames’ fingers fondly. ‘That was grand,’ he said. ‘I am sorry about that.’

Fitzjames’ heart skipped a beat, thinking for a second that Tozer had overheard him and Hickey, before realising he was apologising for falling asleep. He nuzzled Tozer’s light chest hair. ‘Quite alright,’ he said, not entirely sure it was quite alright at all.

‘You did look lovely,’ Tozer said, and might have been about to say more, but Hickey padded over to join them. Fitzjames was encouraged by the thought that while Hickey was slight, and had a feline grace, he was neither handsome nor lovely. 

Tozer pulled Fitzjames’ face to his own, kissed him sweetly. ‘Buck up, now,’ he said, gently stroking at the nape of his neck. ‘No need for all that.’ Fitzjames felt almost demure, cared for. If not for Hickey’s presence, he might’ve let his imagination run away with him.

Hickey had tried to join them on the bed for a cuddle, but Fitzjames could barely stand the sight of him by now. Having sex with the man was one thing, but he’d been insulted too much for any erotic fondness to carry over into their normal lives. Besides, Hickey was all angles where Tozer was firm and soft.

He sat up, disentangled himself from Tozer’s embrace. ‘I suppose you two will want to be getting on,’ he said. ‘Things to do and all that.’

‘Oh,’ Tozer said, ‘Yeah. Sure.’ He sounded a little sullen, a mood of his Fitzjames found entirely aggravating. ‘I am still coming along to that party tomorrow, though?’ 

Fitzjames inwardly cursed Tozer, and berated himself. ‘Of course you are, Solomon.’ He involuntarily eyed Hickey. He could just about trust Tozer on his own at the party, but Hickey and Tozer together was another proposition entirely.

Hickey perked up from behind Tozer, leaning on an elbow and raising his eyebrows. ‘No fear, I know when I’m not invited.’

Fitzjames knew exactly what Hickey was doing; could see how transparently he was being manipulated. ‘You’re welcome to come as well, if you want. If you don’t have other plans. It’s not a very big do.’ He hated himself as he said it. Any other human being would have known not to come.

‘Ace,’ Hickey said. He gave Fitzjames a wide smile. ‘Well, Sol, we’d best be going. Don’t want to intrude on James’ preparations.’ He leaned back on the bed and made no move to get up. Tozer finally shrugged, gave Fitzjames a peck and disentangled himself. He felt a little dizzy - he’d gotten up too fast, and was fuddled from his nap - but he couldn’t let Fitzjames and Hickey torment each other any longer. It was actually painful to witness. 

Fitzjames didn’t offer him a lift, as he usually would, so he didn’t have the chance to turn it down, as he usually did. He did still press a bag of home baking into his hands as they left, so it couldn’t be a very serious mood.

Tozer sat eating the buns on the bus, noticed Hickey tapping his feet next to him. It was a nervous twitch he didn’t seem aware of, even though there was nothing nervous about Hickey. The upper deck was thankfully deserted, and Tozer and Hickey had decided to sit right at the front, a childish whim on Tozer’s part. Hickey quite liked it too, although he’d never admit it. The road outside grew dark against the evening, and their reflections stared back at them under the harsh lighting. They looked tired and drawn. Tozer vaguely noticed a pimple starting on his forehead and some redness on his cheeks. Both seemed deeply unfair as he was into his thirties and it was September. Hickey’s skin always looked remarkably good, considering the man didn’t own a shower. In general, Hickey had no right to be attractive - and yet. The foot-tapping accelerated.

‘If you want one you can have one,’ Tozer said. 

Hickey curled his lip and shook his head. As far as Tozer could tell he didn’t have any kind of sweet tooth, didn’t seem to really care for food at all. ‘That’s why you’re getting fat,’ he said.

Tozer thumped him cheerfully with a scone. ‘Am not.’ He knew he cut a good figure. 

Hickey drew a hand down Tozer’s stomach and squeezed. ‘You have a bit of a belly,’ he said, ‘but it looks good on you. Feels nice. I shall enjoy having you to myself, when we get back to yours,’ Hickey murmured into his ear.

Tozer felt his sunburnt cheeks get hotter as he chewed. ‘You know, if you properly wanted me to, I’d stop,’ he mumbled, tentative. His chest felt tight and his stomach churned. ‘I’d stop seeing him. If you really wanted.’

Hickey laughed, as if he was slightly perplexed. ‘Don’t see the need for that. You seem to have a good time together.’

‘Oh,’ Tozer said. ‘That’s good, then.’ He leaned his head against the window but the movement of the bus made it vibrate uncomfortably. He was starving, still, but his stomach felt funny and he was bone-tired, dog-tired. Angry at James for asking for that favour after a day of work, proper work, and angry at Hickey for fucking about. His gaze wandered downward. ‘Hang on, what’ve you got in there? I told you to stop nicking my stuff.’

‘I haven’t nicked your stuff.’

Hickey’s gym bag - Tozer’s gym bag, really, since Hickey didn’t go to the gym, just worked out in mysterious ways in his manky squat - looked suspiciously full at their feet. He pulled out a pair of soft leather loafers. ‘How much do you reckon these cost?’

Tozer stared at them, puzzled. They were in good condition but not brand new. ‘Those can’t be your size. Where’d you get them?’

‘Someone who doesn’t need them.’

‘You what? What are you on about?’

Hickey smiled, shrugged.

It dawned on Tozer, suddenly. ‘That’s some bloody face you’ve got. What do you want them for? 

You can’t wear them, you can’t sell them.’

‘I can wear them.’

‘Just don’t wear them tomorrow, for Christ’s sake.’ He couldn’t face the thought of tomorrow. At least he had a day off to steel himself.

Hickey looked put out.

‘To answer your question,’ Tozer said, ‘I reckon they cost a few hundred quid. Maybe five hundred, fucking hell, I’ve no clue. Deserve to have your shoes stolen if you spend that much on them.’ He thought, I suppose you have to laugh at it, but it didn’t seem very funny.

Hickey seemed happy with that, and stuffed the shoes back into the bag, leaving it unzipped. He reached over and gave Tozer’s hand a surreptitious squeeze. ‘Have an early night,’ Hickey said. ‘You look worn out. Not fair of him to ask you to do the gutters after you’ve been on a building site all day.’

It hadn’t been fair, although at the time he’d been quite pleased to be asked. It occurred to him that Hickey asked him to do lots of things that didn’t seem quite fair, either, but that thought was too much just then. He wrapped his arms around himself, shrugging further into his parka. 

‘Yeah.’

They sat a while in silence. Hickey resumed his tapping, leant into Tozer’s shoulder a little. ‘Tomorrow will be good fun,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry. I shall be on my best behaviour.’


End file.
